In 2019, All Elite Wrestling opened its doors and immediately changed the professional wrestling world. For the first time in a long while, a promotion emerged which could rival the longtime king of American pro wrestling, WWE. There have undeniably been some growing pains, but four years later, AEW continues to be a popular alternative option for wrestling fans. Now, the company is trying to do the same in the video game world with AEW: Fight Forever, and much like those first AEW shows, the game is a promising debut effort–but with some noticeable room for improvement.
Fight Forever features 47 wrestlers–a far cry from the 218 wrestlers in WWE 2K23, for comparison–at the start, with more able to be unlocked via the in-game shop with currency earned through playing the game. AEW mainstays like MJF, Kenny Omega, Jon Moxley, Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D., “Hangman” Adam Page, and The Young Bucks are here, as well as a few surprising entries. Some of them are heartwarming tributes to wrestlers who have passed away–like Mr. Brodie Lee and Owen Hart–while others are names who have departed to the competition like Cody Rhodes. There are plenty of names missing–the current AEW Women’s Champion Toni…